Jennie Cooley Interview:
Artisans Santa Fe New Mexico with Ron Whitmore and Dr. Dru
Question: How did you get into licensing?
Answer: Evolution, it’s going from crawling to winning marathons with twenty years of ideas. First there were shops, gift shows and street fairs from L.A. to Seattle. Next came galleries, group shows, studio tours and then my own galleries on Canyon Road in Santa Fe New Mexico. After some high profile solo shows I’m running from New York and Miami to Santa Fe and back. And here comes licensing with the 2012 International Licensing and Publishing Show in Las Vegas and my tiny booth right across from Dream Works with Star Wars! I felt like a star too. Now I’m getting ready for the next lap, Las Vegas 2013 and my booth H22.
Q: Why Art?
A: I like to make people smile, smile and think. I like to have fun, buy groceries and fast cars.
Q: What was the fastest?
A: Well, not the 39’ Bentley or the Mercedes beauties, so I guess the 63’ bathtub Porsche on a rare good day.
Q: What inspires you?
A: People, dogs and people as dogs. It’s the funny things they do, like a dog blushing, a child with a naughty secret. Its color and materials, the smell of orange, lime green, fresh cut wood or thick heavy body paint and creamy pastels. Inspiration comes from delicate layers of grey, shiny or satin finishes and especially high gloss red.
Q: What do you call your style?
A: Art speak says “visual narrative” or NOT folk art. I like how a Japanese critic describes my work as having great childlike qualities. I’d like to be called an outside artist with a lot of friends. Critics balk at the Outside label as I’ve had training in monumental sculptor and printmaking. And I do love monotypes, the process and the spontaneity pleases my right sided brain. I never wanted to be a painter, but my paintings sell and I do like berets!
My art reminds viewers of something they just can’t quite remember and then they smile.
And that’s where licensing enters my race, ideas that make smiles, sales and profits. A new Mom asks, now what? A cranky traveler kicks herself in the butt when not having enough fun and a dog that hates it when I swear.
Q: Why licensing & etsy now?
A: My time is now, as many businesses got by during the recent recession with clip art and tried true and tired iconic images and symbols. They got thru and now they are ready to grow and they are ready for exclusive images, unique and happy images of the Jennie Cooley signature lines. etsy expands online sales as most of my galleries are closed and so many shows cancelled.
etsy shop: jenniecooleystudio
I can arrange private print session and studio tours thru email and love to discuss comissions.